In this study, we aimed to optimize the extraction of polysaccharides from the leaves of Rhododendron aganniphum and investigate its rheological properties and antioxidant activity. After optimizing the operating parameters using a Box-Behnken design (BBD), the results showed that the optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions were as follows: extraction temperature, 55°C; liquid-solid ratio, 25:1; extraction time, 2.2h; and ultrasound treatment power, 200W. The optimized experimental yield of polysaccharides by ultrasound-assisted extraction (PUAE) was 9.428%, higher than that obtained by hot water extraction (PHWE) for 12h at the same liquid-solid ratio and extraction temperature. In the in vitro antioxidant activity tests, PUAE had higher positive radical scavenging activity for hydroxyl, superoxide and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals than PHWE. However, PUAE and PHWE solutions had similar intermolecular interactions in the steady-shear flow and dynamic viscoelasticity tests, resulting in similar macroscopic behaviour. With respect to the apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) of PUAE were lower at the same shear rate or angular frequency. All PUAE solutions exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning pseudoplastic behaviour that was accurately described by the Carreau model but was better fit by the power-law model at high shear rates (≥1/s), which demonstrated that the variation in the apparent viscosity dependence was greater at higher concentrations and shear rates. The G' and G″ of the solutions increased as the experimental frequency increased from 0.05 to 500rad/s under all experimental concentrations, and the modulus crossover point decreased gradually with increasing PUAE concentration. The above results demonstrated that the ultrasound-assisted extraction methods gave a higher yield of polysaccharides from the leaves of R. aganniphum with a shorter extraction time than the hot water extraction method, which could affect the apparent viscosity and dynamic viscoelasticity. PUAE presented good radical scavenging activity for DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in vitro and could be used as a natural antioxidant in the food and medical industries.

Dihuang powder (DHP) has been used in the traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diarrhea in some regions of China. But up to now, the anti-diarrheal activity of DHP haven’t been performed with modern pharmacological technology. This study aims to investigate the quality control, the potential toxicity and anti-diarrheal activity of Dihuang powder in mice. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) were used to detect five active compounds in DHP for quality control, and the acute toxicity and sub-acute toxicity for 28-day oral administration of DHP were then evaluated. The anti-diarrheal activity was investigated using mouse model. Results showed that the levels of quercetin and berberine in DHP were 0.054 and 0.632 mg/g, respectively, and atractylodin, matrine, and patehouli aleohal were also detected in DHP. At the given doses, DHP was safe in terms of acute and sub-acute toxicity. Meanwhile, DHP exhibited strong anti-diarrheal effects as well as decreased gastrointestinal motility and the secretions induced by Sennae and castor oil in a dose-dependent manner. It could decrease the content of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the small intestine, and improve the histopathological changes of small intestine and large intestine induced by Sennae. The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities in vivo also were presented. Based on all of the results, we thought that DHP has anti-diarrheal activity, and could be used to treat diarrhea as well as alleviate the pain and inflammation induced by diarrhea. This study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical use of DHP and may assist in the development of new drugs for the treatment of diarrhea. The mechanism of the anti-diarrheal activity should be investigated in the future.

The Tangut monkshood (Aconitum tanguticum) is a perennial herb with high medicinal values. Here, its chloroplast genome was assembled from Illumina sequencing reads. The circular genome is 157,114 bp long with an A + T-biased nucleotide composition, and comprises a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,255 bp), separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region (87,559 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,045 bp). It encodes a total of 112 gene species, with 19 of them being completely or partially duplicated and 18 of them harboring one or two introns. Phylogenetic analysis recovered two major clades of the genus Aconitum.